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Students Studying Apocalyptic Thinking in “End of the World” Course

CAMDEN —According to the ancient Mayan
calendar, the end of the world is fast approaching, but Rutgers–Camden students
shouldn’t count on the impending apocalypse to get them out of final exams.

“They still have to study,” jokes Stuart
Charmé,
a professor of religion at Rutgers–Camden.

This semester, Charmé
is teaching a course titled “The End of the World,” in which students analyze
apocalyptic beliefs throughout history.

“There is an ongoing persistence and
interest in apocalyptic thinking in American popular culture,” Charmé
says. “There have always been threats in the world politically,
environmentally, and on so many other levels that people are curious to know
what the future will hold.”

The latest in a long list of doomsday scenarios
is that the world as we know it could end on Dec. 21, 2012, the end-date of the
Mesoamerican long count calendar used by many ancient cultures, including the
Mayans.

While some believe that’s the day the
world will end, others view it as the beginning of a new era and a physical or
spiritual transformation.

“On the other hand, there is the belief
that apocalypticism is completely fatalistic; the future is predetermined and there’s
nothing we can do about it,” Charmé
says. “On the other hand, some think that it represents a time to make
important decisions. It’s a fear intended to wake us up and reexamine how we
live our lives. It puts a huge responsibility on people.”

Charmé,
who also taught the class in 1999, when people all over the world were
concerned with the impact the year 2000 would have on technology, says apocalyptic
thinking has evolved from general fears caused by diseases, natural disasters,
political instability, and war.

“It’s very malleable in adapting to
whatever makes people anxious. You can already see some people
describing Hurricane Sandy in apocalyptic terms,” he says of the storm that
caused extensive damage in the northeastern part of the United States on Oct.
29 and 30. “Historically, I think apocalyptic thinking is a way people cope
with horrible, uncontrollable circumstances.”

For another example, the Rutgers–Camden
scholar points to movies produced after World War II when people began to
consider how radiation and nuclear weapons could affect them.

“There was an explosion of films about
terrible creatures that existed because of radiation, like giant ants and blobs
and zombies,” he says. “And when space travel begins, people become
interested in the possibility that aliens could invade our world and enslave or
destroy humanity. In every age, people
grapple with fears and anxieties that are specific to that moment in history
and reflected in their apocalyptic imagery.”

Victoria Christodoulou, a senior
psychology major from Point Pleasant, says the course interests her because
there are many websites, movies, and books dedicated to apocalyptic thinking.

“I find a lot of it amusing, but I want
to understand why it’s been such a big part of our culture,” Christodoulou
says.

While the end of days has religious roots
and many cultures describe it as the wrath of God unleashed to punish evil and
sin, Charmé
says apocalyptic thinking has become quite secular.

“You start to hear people talking about it
scientifically,” he says. “Many scientists, for example, say that given the
path we’re on with global warming and the depletion of oil reserves, life as we
know it will be unsustainable.”

After considering the history of
apocalyptic thinking and observing how the end of the world is presented in pop
culture and news reports, Charmé’s
students are drawing their own conclusions about why people seem to be so
interested in the subject.

“I think a lot of people need to feel a
sense of purpose, which is why they start to think about the end of the world
and their place in the world,” says Bridgid Robinson, a senior from Haddonfield
who is double majoring in religion and sociology. “It’s interesting to see the
logic some people use to explain it or form their own sense of security.”

Rutgers University–Camden will host an interdisciplinary conference, “Buffy to Batgirl: Women and Gender in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Comics,” from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 2 and 3.

The Rutgers–Camden theater and music programs will present a fully staged performance of Henry Purcell’s "The Fairy Queen." Evening performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26, in the Walter K. Gordon Theater. There will also be a special high school matinee performance on Thursday, April 24, at 10 a.m., and a matinee performance on Sunday, April 27, at 2 p.m.